Golden Mount
by OmegaWerewolf
Summary: While on a hunt the Cullen's run into something they never believed to exist. Dark times are headed towards our favorite vampires and they are going to need all the help they can get. The only question is, will these hostile creatures be willing to help? (Rated M) (AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, this is my first fanfic. I've never really written anything before besides for school reports so I cant guarantee that it will be any good.**

**This chapter is more of an introduction then anything. After this the chapters will be much larger. I hope you will enjoy reading it!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight.

_[While on a hunt the Cullen's run into something they never believed to exist. Dark times are headed towards our favorite vampires and they are going to need all the help they can get. The only question is, will these hostile creatures be willing to help?]_

**I figure I should at least mention who is mated with who in this story so that there is no confusion.**

_Bella/Alice_

_Edward/Jasper_

_Esme/Carlisle_

_Rosalie/Esme_

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**Chapter 1**

_**The Hunt**_

The ache in my throat grew as my family and I continued deeper into the forest. Usually we would have found at least a heard of deer by now but for some reason there was nothing. No birds, no bunnies and certainly nothing that could satisfy our thirst.

"What the hell?" Emmett snarled as he furiously sniffed the air for any signs of prey.

"Carlisle, what's going on?" Esme asked her mate worriedly. Although animals would usually flee at our presence, we usually had at least a little luck. It was like the animals had cleared out hours ago. There wasn't even the faint scent in the air of one.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "I would say that maybe one of the wolves strayed onto our land but we would be able to smell them."

"This isn't natural." Edward sighed as he ran his hand through his unruly bronze hair. "Nothing has a scent right now. I cant smell the grass or the trees. I cant smell anything." The rest of the family began to sniff around before becoming slightly panicked.

"Carlisle?" Esme asked again. "What could do something like this?" I wrapped my arms around myself as I felt a strange chill run through me. Something was very wrong. A shrill cry sounded off in the distance causing the entire family to freeze. Another cry followed.

"What the hell was that?" Rosalie asked as she moved closer to her husband. He cautiously wrapped his arms protectively around her. Jasper stood firmly in front of Edward as if to protect him from any harm as Esme stepped in closer to Carlisle. That left me to fend for myself if anything happened.

"What's going on?" I asked, knowing that no one would be able to answer me. It was a question that was playing on everyone's mind.

"Why cant I hear anyone?" Edward suddenly asked, panic clouding over his face. Jasper gasped and everyone looked at him. Not much startled the empath. He had been through so much in his time that he was hard to surprise. I didn't have to be an empath to know that he was actually scared though. That thought alone made me nervous.

"I cant feel anyone's emotions." He choked out. He was beginning to shift uncertainly on his feet. I closed my eyes to get a vision but for once nothing came to me.

"Everyone's future has gone blank." My voice wavered as I spoke. Everyone knew that when someones future went blank that usually meant that they would be facing a life or death situation. My instincts were telling me to high tail it out of there. To run away and never return. What could possibly be causing this though? We are vampires. The ultimate predator. Even with the wolves we never get the urge to run. Whatever was out there was doing something to our senses though. Everything we had ever known seemed to suddenly change.

"We need to get back to the house. We have to figure out some course of action." Carlisle demanded. We turned around so that we could head home but a loud thundering sound made us stop dead in our tracks. The thundering came closer and closer. I could tell by the looks on everyone faces that the panic I was feeling was mutual. Without hesitation we took off towards the house, praying that whatever it was that was still in the forest wouldn't be sticking around for long.

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_Again, sorry for the short chapter. I'll have the next one up either tonight or tomorrow. From now on my chapters will be much longer. Scouts honor. (Even though I've never been a scout.)_


	2. Silence

**Thank you so much for the reviews and follows!**

**I wanted to get this up last night but we had a pretty severe thunder storm so I figured it would be best to keep all electronic devices turned off. Here is the second chapter. I hope you guys enjoy. I'm trying to do something that has't been done before. I haven't exactly had time to read all the A/B fanfics though so I'm not sure.**

**Also I made a mistake in the first chapter. I said Rosalie's Mate was Esme. I meant to write Emmett. Sorry about that.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Twilight saga.

* * *

_[While on a hunt the Cullen's run into something they never believed to exist. Dark times are headed towards our favorite vampires and they are going to need all the help they can get. The only question is, will these hostile creatures be willing to help?]_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**_Silence_**

"Do you have any idea what caused us to react like that?" Esme asked Carlisle as the rest of the family gathered around the living room.

"I wish I could say yes." He began slowly, concern for the family written all over his face. "However, I've never come across anything quite like this before." He sighed as he sat down on the love seat and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He pulled Esme down into his lap and she snuggled into him.

"Could it have been another vampire?" Edward asked him curiously. "I mean, maybe there is a vampire with some kind of shield out there. Maybe the Volturi sent them here." Carlisle shook his head.

"That's what I had initially thought but that doesn't explain the noises. I've never heard something like that. The sounds literally sent a chill down my spine." Everyone nodded in agreement. "What kind of creature could make our kind so afraid?" He pondered out loud.

"So what are we going to do?" The room was silent as everyone thought of possible solutions to our problem. We didn't want to run head first towards the things that caused us so much fright. We didn't want to run away either. This was our home and we weren't ready to leave.

"I suppose I should make some calls. See if anyone else has heard of something like this before." He sighed deeply before continuing. "I should probably also call the pack. Maybe they have seen or heard something that could be of some help." Emmett snorted with laughter.

"Carlisle, if you call the pack you know the first thing they will do is find and attack whatever it is. You know them. They act before they think." Rosalie put her hand on her husbands shoulder.

"I hate to say this Em but I think Carlisle is right. The mutts have a right to know if there is something threatening the people of Forks and their tribe." His shoulders slouched but he nodded in agreement. Carlisle reached into his pocket and grabbed his cellphone before dialing Sam Uley, the leader of the La Push wolf pack.

"_Hello?_" A gruff voice answered.

"Hi, Sam? This is Dr. Cullen. I was calling to-" Before he even got his next word out he was harshly cut off.

"_What do you want leech?_" He growled, causing the rest of my family to hiss at him hostility.

"If you would kindly let me speak without interruption then I will tell you." Carlisle responded. I was impressed that he was able to take the mutts words so well. I would have snapped at him.

"_Fine, talk_." I clenched my fists at my side. Who did these mutts think they were?

"We were out hunting today when-" Again Carlisle was cut off.

"_If one of you harmed a human then the treaty is void leech. Just say the word and we will be there to rip you apart_." Carlisle massaged his temples as he listened to the threat.

"I have six words for you Sam." He began ticking up fingers for each word. "Shut. Up. And. Let. Me. Speak." We all silently cheered that daddy vamp wasn't allowing the pup to talk down to him.

"_Fine._" Came the growled response.

"There was something in the woods. Whatever it was had us running for the hills so to speak. Whatever it is, it's not human. I don't know if it's a threat yet. We've been racking our brains but we've been unable to come to a conclusion." Another growl sounded over the phone.

"_There might be a new threat? Why the hell didn't you say that in the first place you tick_." Before Carlisle could respond Sam started shouting to the rest of his pack to get ready.

"Listen, I don't think it would be wise for you to go after whatever is out there. At least try and figure out what it is first. For all we know this creature doesn't want any trouble." Sam scoffed loudly.

"_Listen leech, I don't tell you how to run you coven so don't try and tell me how to run my pack._" And with that the phone went dead.

"We have to do something Carlisle. They'll get themselves killed." Esme pleaded and I knew that we were going to be hunting wolves soon. Esme was right, whatever was out there probably wouldn't take it easy on the mutts. The creature we ran from sounded big. Much bigger then any of the wolves.

"Chances are the mutts are going to come onto our land. As long as they think there is a threat the treaty is void in their eyes." Carlisle nodded at Edwards words.

"Maybe we will be able to resolve this peacefully. Alice, can you see what the outcome will be?" I closed my eyes and willed myself to get a vision. Usually when it came to the wolves I couldn't see much. Their futures were always foggy and uncertain. This time however I saw nothing.

"I'm sorry, it's just blank." I was beginning to feel useless with my powers being on the blink like they were.

"I don't know how dangerous this is going to be. I do know that if you don't feel comfortable going after whatever is out there then you don't have to go." Carlisle said, knowing full well that if one of us went that we would all go.

"What are you talking about old man? We're a family. We're all in this together." Emmett replied with confidence. Carlisle beamed at us and nodded.  
"Well then let's not waste any more time. I wish I had time to call some others to see if they knew what we were going up against but it would be too late for the pack." He responded as he turned towards the door. Everyone took a deep breath and followed closely behind.

**XX**

The forest was as quiet as it had been before. The lack of sounds and smells were still unnerving and I could see it taking it's toll on the entire family. We hadn't gone far when we heard the shrill, high pitched cry from before. This time it was followed by the whimpering of one of the wolves.

"Stupid mutts deserve it. They should know better then to go after an unknown foe." Jasper muttered as we forced ourselves to continue towards the sounds. when we came into a clearing we saw something that would have made our blood run cold. That is if we had any. What the hell were these creatures? They were unlike anything I had ever seen before

"No way." Carlisle whispered as we watched in horror as the wolves continued to attack the creatures. Two of the wolves sat off to the side. They seemed to refuse to fight. Somehow the monsters before us must have made it so that the mutts didn't have to follow the alpha's order.

"What in the name of all that is holy are those" Esme asked as her eyes widened in horror. One of the wolves was sent flying our way and we had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. Instead of replying Carlisle ran into the field.

"Stop! Please, they didn't know any better. They are young shifters. You know how they can be!" Some of the creatures turned our way. Their eyes ranging in color from red, to hazel, to green and many more. One caught my attention right away though. The eyes were bright blue and full of anger. It took a threatening step towards Carlisle.

"Please, we don't want any trouble here." One of the wolves suddenly dashed towards the creature moving towards Carlisle. I got the urge to shout out, to warn it but it wasn't necessary. The creature stood at it's full height, much bigger then the wolves and rammed a sharp, deadly spike into his chest. The wolf collapsed to the ground shifting back to it's human form.

"Oh god." Esme cried as the blood spilled out of the wounded mutt. Even though she disliked them as much as the rest of us she didn't like seeing anyone hurt. The large creature raised a leg and got ready to crush the poor wolf's skull under it's massive hoof.

"Stop!" I shouted and the creatures head whipped up towards me. Our eyes connected and I felt something stir inside me. Something I was beginning to think that I would never feel. I felt as though I had a real purpose. That suddenly I was needed. Somehow I was complete.

"What are they Carlisle." Esme asked again, grabbing her mates hand and pulling him close.

"They are supposed to be extinct." He began, looking carefully around the field. The wolves were too busy tending to the wounded to even try to attack right now. The creatures stood stock still as they watched us.

"Yes, but what are they?" She repeated again.

"They used to be ridden into battle." He continued, still not answering her question.

"Would you just tell us what they are already?" Rosalie finally snapped. In the end it was Edward who responded. The look of terror on his face made me believe he had extensive knowledge on these beasts.

"War horses."

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**I will try to have the next chapter up within the next few days. **


	3. War Horse

**Questions/Answers/Comments**

**Guest-**:rolls eyes: Enough cliffs just tell the fucking story -_ Listen and listen well. That was only chapter two. I don't think you know me well enough to criticize the way I am doing things. At least wait for more chapters before complaining. Also if you want to complain at least have the decency to come on an actual account to do it. Don't hide behind a guest status._

**Shaz-** war horses is this from myth or your own creation? Are these going to be a type of shifter or were?_ - War horses are indeed from mythology. I however am putting my own unique spin on them. As interesting as the myths are I had my own ideas about them. In my story they are a type of shifter. That will be explained in this chapter in fact!_

**Guest (2)** - stop with your fucking cliffhanger and tell the damn story. And what the fuck are war horses. and you should learn how to describe something because you really suck at it.- _Again with the hiding behind a guest status. What is it with you people? Like I said to the last badass who complained...This is only the second chapter. If you already have something to complain about then don't bother reading it. If you had patiently waited like everyone else you would have found out the the descriptions would be coming in this chapter. Stop trying to act all knowing, post on your actual account and let me read some of __**your **__stories. I would love to see how you write._

_(A/N) Just a note for the future. If you want to complain about my writing then fine. But don't expect me to get all up in arms about it. I'm not going to fight with you and I'm certainly not going to change something for one or two people. Don't like my writing style then don't read it. Swearing at me isn't going to change my mind. If I'm writing a chapter and something comes up in (real life) like it did last night, And I have to add a quick cliff hanger then that's what I'm going to do. So to those who don't like it and cant deal with it..Get out. :)_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Twilight Saga or any of the characters.

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___[While on a hunt the Cullen's run into something they never believed to exist. Dark times are headed towards our favorite vampires and they are going to need all the help they can get. The only question is, will these hostile creatures be willing to help?]_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**___War Horse_**

"What's a war horse?" I asked Edward as he slowly backed away from the scene that was still in the process of unfolding before them.

"They've been around for a long time. They even fought along humans in wars although the humans have long since forgotten. It is even said that the Trojan horse was actually based on one of these war horses." He took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves.

"Others have said that they are an omen of death. I guess that's kind of true. Whenever they arrive somewhere someone does die. They come for a certain supernatural creature, whether it's a single one or a whole pack or coven." Edward shook his head furiously."Usually if they are hunting down a family of supernaturals only one or two will arrive though." My brother looked back over towards the large war horses that were around the field. There were nine of them. Each and every one of them as big as the next. They were all keeping a close eye on both the pack and our family.

"I know where you're going with this son and I'm hoping that you are wrong." Carlisle said before turning towards the rest of us with a grim expression on his face. "When a whole herd of War Horses are seen together it usually indicates that a war is coming." The family gasped at the thought of war. Who would start a war in Forks Washington?

"War against who?" I asked hesitantly and Carlisle slowly shrugged his shoulders.

"They are the only ones who would know." I finally took a good look at them. They were all different colors. The one closest to us had a light, buckskin coat with a long black mane and tail. The creature was decked out in silver and gold armor that protected it's head, neck, back, chest and legs. The armor on the head was covered in intricate designs. Large, sharp silver horns were jutting out of the head piece and the rest of the armor was covered in long thick spikes, Most of which were stained red with blood. Even though the armor was in place I could tell that he was muscular. His deep red eyes bore into us as if assessing our every move. If that wasn't intimidating enough there was also the fact that he was twice the size of a normal horse.

"Can you please tell us what's going on? We understand that a war must be coming but who is it against?" Carlisle all but pleaded with them. The herd of horses seemed to part and the one with blue eyes stepped forward. It was now that I noticed that this one was completely different then the rest. Instead of gold and silver armor this one had black and red. That wasn't the biggest difference though. The markings on this horse were almost identical of that of a zebra. The only difference is instead of black stripes they were a bright golden color. The long mane and tail of this creature resembled that of a zebras as well. Carlisle gasped and covered him mouth.

"A golden zebra." He murmured as the creature turned towards the rest of the herd. It nodded it's head. They let out various pitched whinnies before turning and thundering away from the clearing. "Y-You might want to take your pack and leave Sam." He tried reasoning with the Alpha but the wolf just growled and shook his head. The beautiful golden zebra took a few more steps towards us before it's body began to shrink. By the time it reached us it had shifted into human form.

"I-I didn't know they could do that." Edward cried as he watched the now human looking girl straighten up.

"There are many things you do not know of us vampire." She replied in a light, yet husky voice. Her long, dark brown hair ruffled slightly in the wind as she spoke. She was absolutely beautiful. Her skin was almost as pale as mine and looked as though it would be soft to touch. Her hair was silky and I had a strange urge to run my fingers through it. She was approximately 5'9" which was much taller then my 5'1".

"There is a war coming, isn't there?" Carlisle asked her. She trained her eyes on him and thought for a few moments before finally responding.

"There is indeed a war that will take place in this very field. The ones called the Volturi will assemble their entire coven along with an army of vampires and will come within the year."

"But why?" Esme gasped. "What are they after?" The girl chuckled quietly.

"So full of questions I see." Some of the wolves began to growl at her. She turned towards them and glared. "Can it dogs, no one wants to hear your rabid snarling." She shouted, the authority in her voice silencing them immediately. "They are after you Carlisle Cullen." Everyone was silent, thinking about her words. Why would the Volturi be after Carlisle? I assumed that meant they were after the entire family.

"Did you come to help us?" Esme asked, hope evident in her voice.

"I'm afraid not Esme." She replied, smirking when she saw the surprised look on her face.

"How did you know who I was?" She asked hesitantly. The girl smiled at her.

"I know each and every one of you. I know who you are now and who you were before you were changed. It's a hard process to explain to a creature with such a simple mind." I couldn't help but feel insulted and I could tell everyone felt the same.

"I think we can keep up." I muttered. She glanced at me and the corner of her mouth raised in another smirk.

"It is a story for another time." She replied, nodding towards the wolves. I understood that she didn't want the mutts to know whatever it was she had to tell us. "You should know Sam that not all of your wolves will listen to you. They are not like you in the least little bit." The large black wolf took a threatening step towards her.

"Sam, not now." Carlisle demanded of the beast. He was ignored however as he continued stalking towards the War Horse.

"You pup's and your tempers." The girl said as she shook her head sadly. "It will indeed be the death of you." This seemed to only make the wolf angrier. She finally sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Either you leave now or I will make you leave. It's your choice but just know that if you choose the latter that you will leave in pieces. Some of the wolves began whining, trying to get Sam's attention. They knew her threat was real and they didn't want to risk it. Finally after a few seconds he slowly turned back towards the pack and let out a howl. The all began to take off into the forest. All except for two that is.

"Leave them Sam." The war horse demanded. He glared at her but in the end he left without another fight.

"Perhaps we could go back to our house and talk things over a little more. I know we would certainly like to know more about your kind. An maybe if you are willing, you could let us know what the Volturi wants with us?" Carlisle asked. She nodded slowly before signaling for us to lead the way.

"What is your name dear? It's a little strange that you know everything about us when we don't even have a name for you." Esme said politely.

"My name is Isabella Marie Swan. You can call me Bella if you wish." She responded before turning back towards the still motionless wolves. From what I could remember of them their names were Seth and Leah Clearwater. Leah was the first and only female wolf and she was bitter about it. "You may follow." She said to them and they quickly got up to follow closely behind us. It was strange having them following us home though. We've spend so much time trying to keep the mutts away from our lands and now here they are, following us home.

"So you know everything about us? Even before we were turned into vampires?" I asked hopefully. I didn't know anything about my human life and I was hoping that maybe she could enlighten me. She took a deep breath and stopped walking.

"Go with the others." She said softly to the wolves before turning to look me straight in the eyes. I could feel a light flutter in my stomach and if I had been human a blush would have spread over my face. "I can tell you anything you want to know Alice but you need to be warned. It's not all sunshine and roses. Sometimes it's better not knowing whats happened in your past." I didn't like the sound of that but this was something that I needed to know.

"I've been trying to figure out who I was since I awoke into this life. Please tell me what you know." She nodded, seeming to know that I was going to ask her to tell me anyways.

"Your name was Mary Alice Brandon. You were born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1901 and changed in an asylum in 1920. You had visions of the future even when you were human. Your mother and sister Cynthia believed in your visions but your father did not. He called you many names and when no one was around would even beat on you. He believed that your visions were some kind of delusion and that if punished you enough they may go away." She looked up at me again and seemed to notice my eyes were filled with venom tears. She gently took my arm in her hand and walked me over to a fallen tree and sat me down. She sat next to me, her hand still on my arm.

"I'm sorry." I sniffed. "I just cant believe I had visions when I was still human." Quickly wiping my eyes I asked her to continue.

"One day you had a vision of your mother being murdered and you made sure to tell her. She of course believed you but your father didn't. He told you to stop your nonsense because you were frightening your mother. Your mother was careful for a few months but the moment she let her guard down your vision came true. You and your sister were devastated. Your father however seemed to get over her death quickly and within a few months brought another woman into the family." She looked over at me again with a look of concern.

"I'm okay. Please continue." I told her. I was hoping there would be some kind of happy ending to the story.

"That is when you had another startling vision. In your vision your father was killing you. Not only that but he was confessing to murdering your mother." I gasped which caused her grip to tighten on my arm. "You ran to your Uncles house looking for protection but he wouldn't allow you in. Less then a year ago you had a vision about his son getting into an accident and being killed. You told them but they didn't believe you. When it finally happened they blamed it on you. So you ran to the sheriff. Unfortunately your father beat you there. He told the man that you had snapped and they had you shipped away to a mental asylum far away from your home." She seemed to stop, not wanting to say anymore but I knew there was more to the story.

"Please, what happened after that." I almost begged. Her eyes were filled with sadness as she nodded and continued.

"The first thing they did when you got there was cut off your long hair. They never planned on you leaving that place alive because your date of death is the same as the day you arrived at the institution. Back then they resorted to cruel methods of torture to try and cure someones mind and you were subjected to many types of it. The worst was the electroshock therapy treatments they put you through. They literally sent shocks through your brain which in the end wiped out your memory. The visions never left though." I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why couldn't I just be a normal person?" She chuckled next me and ruffled my hair. I found myself wondering how Carlisle and Edward could be so scared of her.

"Normal is overrated kiddo." I pouted as I listened to the rest of the story. "There was however a vampire who worked at the asylum. I don't know why he was there but he ended up taking great interest in you. You told him one day that you had a vision with a man with similar eyes to his killing you. Of course he believed you and in a panic he bit into you, effectively turning you into a vampire. He took you out of there and into the woods. The the other vampire came for you though. When he saw that you had been changed and that he wouldn't be able to drain you he went after your creator. In the end your creator was killed. The other vampire, James went back for you but it was too late. You had already awoken and went on your way. That didn't stop him from tracking you though. Not long after, he met his mate Victoria and they looked for you together." I couldn't help but wonder if my family was going to be in danger because of me. If they found me it sounded like they wouldn't care if they hurt my coven as well.

"Are they still after me?" I asked her. She quickly shook her head.

"James is long since dead. I killed him a long time ago. Victoria on the other hand has been hunting me ever since. I'm not afraid of her though. She wouldn't be able to do much harm." We sat in silence for a while and I let it all sink in. What my father had done to my mother, what had happened to me.

"What about Cynthia? Whatever happened to her?" I asked, hoping she wasn't harmed by my father. Bella smiled at me and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a picture of a man, woman and child.

"I had a feeling that if I met you here you would ask about your past. This is Cynthia, her husband and her daughter. Cynthia and her husband have passed away of old age but her daughter is still alive today. Her name is Alicia. I think she was named with you in mind. She was always told stories about her aunt Mary Alice. Cynthia spoke highly of you and even told her about your super hero power." I took the picture out of her hand and looked closely at my sister and her daughter.

"Can..Can I keep this?" I asked as I hugged the picture close to my chest.

"Of course." That was the final straw and I broke out in dry sobs. Bella pulled me close, letting me bury my head into the crook of her neck as I continued to sob. She ran her hand up and down my back soothingly. I wasn't quite ready to go back to my family yet and Bella didn't seem quite ready to let me go. She started talking about all different things as she tried to calm me down. The thing that caught my attention the most was that although they were called War horses they were actually a type of shifter. Each of them could change into a human form much like the wolves. However, she didn't seem to like the wolves much. We sat there for hours talking about things that didn't matter much. I was beginning to realize that I could probably stay in this position with Isabella Marie Swan for the rest of eternity.

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**The next chapter will go more into detail about about Bella's herd. You will learn about the golden zebra and why Carlisle was so shocked to see one. You will also find out Leah and Seth's place in this story.**


	4. Golden Zebra

**Questions/Answers/Comments**

**Evangeline Kathrine**- You sure are getting flamed a lot aren't ya? _(Yup xD But it's okay. Luckily I'm not the type to stop writing because someone said something to try and hurt my feelings. Thank you very much for the compliments on my story as well. It means a lot to me.)_

**elliehandesu-** so Bella is with some other war horses with her ? is she a pack leader or something? do this attack by the volturi have related to bella and alice relationship in process or in near future? _(Bella is with her entire herd of War Horses. She is indeed the 'Alpha Mare' I will go more into that in this chapter. The Volturi have another reason for attacking the Cullen's that has nothing to do with Bella and Alice. This also will be explained in this chapter.)_

**DeJee-** Does bella know alice is her mate? do they imprint much like the wolves ?_ (War horses imprint like the wolves. It's a little different with Bella though. She has been around for a long time and even though she can feel the imprint, it isn't strong. Not yet anyways. I think her little Pixie is going to have her work cut out for her.)_

**Shaz-** Thanks for answering my question :) I'm loving the story so far and nice touch with Bella tell Alice about her human life. Will we see much of Victoria or is the volturi the big bad? Can't wait for the next chapter. _(I'm always willing to answer my readers questions. :D If I ever end up skipping over a question just ask again or send me a message. I'll answer it as quick as I can. I haven't made up my mind with what to do with Victoria yet. For now the Volturi are the big bad.)_

**Disclaimer-** Twilight= not mine.

**Beta:** UntalentedRose (thanks so much for being awesome and helping me out with this chapter!)

* * *

___[While on a hunt the Cullen's run into something they never believed to exist. Dark times are headed towards our favorite vampires and they are going to need all the help they can get. The only question is, will these hostile creatures be willing to help?]_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_**Golden Zebra**_

"It's about time you got back." Rosalie muttered as Bella and I walked through the front door and into the living room where the family sat waiting for us. Leah and Seth were sitting side by side on the love seat, looking quite uncomfortable with the current situation.

"I apologize for holding Alice up." Bella said kindly as her eyes scanned the living room. "You have such a lovely home Esme." She complimented, making the older vampire beam with happiness.

"Why thank you dear." Esme replied kindly.

"Mama bear actually did all the decorating herself." Emmett said as he grinned at the look of shock on Bella's face. A proud look came over Esme's face as the girl beside me continued to scan the area. I took hold of her warm hand and lead her over to one of the couches that still had openings and sat her down. I quickly sat beside her, smiling at the look of shock on Carlisle's face. He and Edward still seemed somewhat hesitant around her. It was quiet for a while as everyone gathered their thoughts. I wanted to know everything about this creature sitting beside me but I wasn't sure where to begin.

"I have a question." Emmett said seriously as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are you a zebra when all the others are horses?" Edward stiffened up and shot a glare at his brother.

"Oh my god, Emmett. You cant just ask people why they're zebra's." Edward hissed as he looked cautiously back at Bella.

"Dude bro, did you seriously just quote mean girls to me?" Emmett asked, referring to a movie Edward had been in love with for a few years. This seemed to lighten up the mood somewhat. A few chuckles went around the room before Bella answered Emmett's question.

"It's somewhat complicated." She began, eyebrows scrunched in concentration as she tried to figure out the best way to explain it to us. "As you know, war horses are said to be a bad omen. It's true of course. We only tend to show up when there will be bloodshed. I think the best way to explain is through a story." Everyone nodded and waited for her to begin.

"_Carrigan, if you don't stop making newborns soon the Volturi will find out what we are doing." Carlos hissed at his creator. He was right of course but Carrigan didn't care at this point. Someone had claimed a territory that he had wanted and he was going to take it back from them._

_"Relax boy." He snarled as he looked around at the large army he had assembled. Dozens of newborns surrounded them, all practicing fighting. Of course half the time they ended up killing each other. The worst part is that they were unable to contain their thirst. He was about to yell at his second in command when one of their guards ran up in a panic._

_"Sir, there is something in the woods." He cried, pure terror written all over his face." Carrigan looked at him as if he had grown a second head._

_"I think you can handle it. You are a vampire after all. Now go out there and do what you were created for." He snapped._

_"Y-you don't understand sir. Whatever's out there is huge. They are coming for us, I can feel it." Before he could respond loud shouts came from the woods from the opposite direction of where the guard had come. Newborns ran towards Carrigans camp, ready to kill him and his army. It seems as though the other army decided to strike first._

_"Attack!" He shouted and his newborns turned on their enemies and began ripping each other apart. That is until a high pitch cry sounded from the opposite side of the field. Five giant horses stepped out of the woods, all clad with blood covered armor. "War horses" He whispered in horror as they moved closer._

_"What's a war horse?" Carlos asked as he watched in awe at the creatures grace and ferocity. _

_"As their names suggest, they come at times of war. They don't choose sides though. They will wipe the entire field out. Who they kill doesn't matter to them. As he said that a long, dark haired female walked out from behind the giant horses._

_"You have committed many crimes as of late Carrigan." She said loudly, glaring at the commander of the army. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?" The horses began to get restless as they pranced in place, their long mane's flowing out beneath their armor. They pawed restlessly at the ground. "You and all of those around you will die of your sins." She cried. As those words left her mouth the horses charged. The sharp horns and spikes tore through the newborns as though they were made of paper and Carlos couldn't help but wonder of they were invincible. He watched as newborn after newborn was dispatched. A shrill cry from one of the horses showed them that the creatures were not invincible._

_"You will pay for that." The girl muttered as one of the horses crumpled to the ground. It was still alive but Carlos could tell it was wounded in a way that wouldn't allow it to get back up. The girl suddenly shifted into what they thought would be a horse but were surprised when she was anything but. What stood before them was a beautiful zebra with golden stripes and bright blue eyes. She reared onto her hind legs and charged into battle. The difference between her and the others was clear. She fought harder and more viciously then the normal horses did. Anger and hate radiated off of her, striking fear in those nearby. Those that were left realized that they would have to work together to take this creature out._

_"Have you ever seen a war horse like that before?" Carlos asked Carrigan. The elder vampire shook his head as he watched what was left of the army surround her. There was no way she would get out alive, or so he thought. She reared up a second time, legs thrashing wildly about. This time when her hooves returned to the ground a shock wave pulsed around her knocking nearby newborns to the ground. The golden markings on her fur seemed to be moving, as if sparks of electricity rested on her coat._

_"What the hell is going on?" Carrigan asked no one in particular. Suddenly there was an explosion around her body, the electricity wrapped around each vampire in close proximity to her and were instantly turned to dust. In their horror Carlos and Carrigan didn't realize that a war horse had come up behind them. They were dispatched quickly. The only sound left in the field was the heavy breathing of the downed war horse. Everyone shifted back to human form._

_"Thomas." The female whispered as she hurried over to the war horse that was slowly, painfully changing back to human form. Once Thomas was fully shifted he slowly got to his feet, wincing in pain. The rest of the herd joined them, sadness clouding their eyes. "Please tell me you weren't." She pleaded softly with him. He pulled her into a tight hug before whispering back to her._

_"I'm afraid so." Tears formed in her eyes and she noticed the rest of the herd was having the same reaction._

_"It's your choice. What do you wish to do?" She asked the pained man in front of her. He didn't even think twice about his answer._

_"I want you to do it. Maybe I would think twice if I had an imprint but I don't. Please don't make this harder then it has to be." The herd all gave him hugs as they sniffled and walked away, leaving just the two of them. She ran a hand through his sandy blond hair before pulling him back into another hug. "Be strong." He whispered in her ear as another tear ran down her face. She nodded and squeezed him tightly before sending a shock through his system immediately stopping his heart._

_"I'm so sorry my old friend."_

The looks on everyone's faces ranged from shocked to horrified.

"Why did she kill the other war horse?" Carlisle asked. I was wondering the same question. It didn't make much sense to me. Why would the zebra kill him?

"We war horses are strong and have very few weaknesses. We can easily shake off most wounds but there is one that can disable us." I noticed that she had balled her hands into fists. Whatever she was going to tell us seemed to be a sore subject for her. I took her hand in mine causing her to look up surprised.

"It's okay." I said softly, meeting her eyes with mine. I found myself getting lost in them until she finally looked away.

"Thank you." She replied, keeping her hand in mine. " "War horses are a type of shifter, although we are different than most. Many shifters explode into their animal form while we become our animal. We join with the animal inside us and take on that form. We also don't lose our clothes every time we shift like the wolves."." Leah and Seth both blushed a deep red and I saw Bella smirk somewhat.

"I wish we could do that." Seth muttered as he crossed his arms over his still bare chest. The others had given them some clothes to wear but he remained shirtless.

"Our animals rest within us in such a way that if we are hurt then it is possible for them to become damaged. Usually they will heal in time. Unfortunately if one of us is impaled through the spine, although it will heal our animal is considered hobbled. The animal inside slowly dies. The biggest problem with this however is that even as it dies it continues to try to surface. This causes extreme pain for the shifter as they can literally feel their insides being stretched and torn. They will never be able to shift again though and the animal can take decades to die." I shivered at the though of someone feeling as though there insides were being torn and clung tighter to Bella's hand. I didn't want something like that to ever happen to her.

"Is it possible for the animal to be healed in any way? I mean through surgery perhaps?" Carlisle asked as he leaned forward in his seat.

"I suppose it's a possibility but it's not something that has ever been tried. We cant very well go to a hospital and ask a human to try and fix our inner animal. They don't show up in x-rays or anything either." I noticed a sad look in her eyes and wished I could do something to cheer her up. Had she ever known someone who had been hobbled? Was she the golden zebra from her story?

"Not to sound rude or anything but I was hoping that you could tell us why the Volturi is after us." Rosalie said calmly which was odd for her. Usually she would snap at people she didn't know. Bella nodded her head and smiled sadly at us.

"It shouldn't come as a big surprise for you. Aro has decided that your Coven has become to big for his liking. The truth is he wants Alice and Jasper to join with him. He will try and negotiate a deal with you. You offer your services and in return he will spare the life of your family. Of course once they arrive they will catch the scent of the wolves. They will also be pulled into this battle."

"And you're here to what? Wipe us all out? Volturi, Wolves and us?" Edward asked, looking horrified.

"That's the general idea." Before anyone could protest another voice interrupted, causing most everyone in the room to jump.

"Bells, we can make an exception just this once." A tall pale woman with dirty blond hair and green eyes said casually as if she knew that Bella would be okay with it. I turned my head when I heard a small whine from Seth. He was staring at the woman like he had found his forever. Bella looked back and forth between the two before sighing.

"The rules state-" The woman cut her off quickly.

"Screw the rules Bella. This time is different and you know it. Not only are imprints involved but War hounds as well." Imprints? War hounds? What exactly was she talking about. Seth got up quickly and scrambled over to her.

"My name's Imprint, you're my Seth." He stated causally as he ran his hand through his hair and winked at her. The girl didn't' miss a beat though.

"It's nice to meet you Imprint. I'm afraid my name isn't Seth though. I usually go by Sadie." She winked back at him and chuckled when he blushed.

"I meant my name is Seth." He said quietly, causing the room to erupt in laughter.

"What's an Imprint and what are War hounds?" Jasper asked as he looked back and forth between the new arrival and Seth, smirking slightly.

"Imprint is kind of like a mate for a vampire. When you find your imprint it's like the world stops and everything suddenly revolves around them. You will be whatever they need you to be. Friend, brother, sister, lover. War hounds are also a type of shifter. Seth and Leah happen to be War hounds. They are a lot like the rest of the pack but there are a few differences. As they learn more about themselves they will be able to shift without losing their clothes. They have to become one with their inner animal. They will also be able to shift into armor like we can. The best part is that they will always be stronger then the Alpha of their pack and if they wish to leave the pack then they can do so." Seth and Leah both looked ecstatic over this information and I couldn't help but be happy for them.

"So, will you help us?" Carlisle asked her bluntly. She didn't answer straight away and seemed to be heavily considering her options.

"Please?" I asked as I squeezed her hand again. She looked up into my eyes once again and I saw her resolve waver. Knowing that we had almost broken her I gave my best pout. After letting out a deep breath she looked around the room.

"I guess we can break the rules this one time."

* * *

_The next chapter will have more about Seth and Leah being war hounds. Alice and Bella will also have some alone time together._

_I also want to point out that I will have Leah imprint on someone later in the story. I cant keep her from her happily ever after._

_Being "Hobbled" is not something I made up myself. I got the idea from the Jennifer Scales books. They are books about a girl who has to change into a dragon for a certain time each month. There is a lot of drama and action. They are great books (Which I did not write)_

_I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. _

_Also thanks for all the reviews/Follows/Favorites 3_


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